Electric gas lamp



Patented July 10, 1923.

UNITED STA 1,461,359- PATENT OFFICE.

ANTON LEDEBEB, WA, AUSTRIA, ASSIGNOB TO WESTINGHOUSE LAMP COM- PANY, A CORPORATION OF PENNSYLVANIA.

nLEc'rnIc GAS LAMP.

Io Drawing.

T 0 all 'whomit may 00mm:

Be it known that I,- ANTON-LEDERER, a subject of the Emperor of Austria, and a resident of Vienna, Austria, have invented .5, certain new and useful Improvements in Electric .Gas Lamps, of which the following is a specification. f

This invention relates to electric gas lamps, that is to say electric lamps in which a gas or mixture of gases, particularly the so called rare gases such as neon, 'helium,'ar-

gon, krypton, etc., forms the light giving medium. One lamp of this character has electrodes of -an alkali metal, potassium for example.

Experience has shown that the longer such lamps have been used the easier. will they light up. The inventor believes that this' phenomen is due to the fact that inconsequence of the evaporation of the-material of which the electrodes of the lamp are made a deposit is formed on the inside of the lamp tube which facilitates the lighting of the lamp. New lamps should therefore, so to 2 say, be seasoned in order that they may be easily lighted. As the result a considerable part of the life of the lamp is lost or this disadvantage ofnot lighting up easily for a certain period'must be taken into account 80 when the lamp is sold.

According to the present invention, in order to avoid this drawback and shorten or entirely do away with the period of seasoning, the lamp is artificially provided either on a portion or on the-whole of the interior of the lighting tube or on a surface located in the interior thereof, with a thin metallic deposit which will only. very slightly impair the radiation of light. The lamp will then 40 li ht up very readily and will be far more re iable in operation. Potassium, sodium,

caesium, rubidium, lithium and antimony are examples of the metals of which the thin deposit may advantageously consist.

This deposit may be produced in a, simple way by causing the metallic .electrode 'matenal to partly evaporate or disintegrate prior to or at the first operation of the lamp. This may be done by over-running the lamp' that is bypassing through the lamp a current greater than that for which it is normally designated tooperate. For instance in the case of a lamp destined for or' dinary alternate current voltage of 220 volt, the deposit is produced by the high tension Application filed-Hay 16, 1914.' Serial No. 839,091.

current of an induction coil. The metal may be contained directly in the electrode vesselsand may be evaporated bv over-running or by heating it externally by a suitable source of heat such as a Bunsen flame, so as to evaporate beyond the electrode vessels, forming a deposit in the vicinity of the electrodes. The time of over-running is a very short one. only seconds to minutes and is to be considered as sufficient when a deposit has been formed at the electrode vessels.

The lamp may be subjected to over-running before being completed, while there is still a possibility of regulating the gas-filling, or after being completed.

In this way a lamp is produced which as soon as it is connected to an electric circuit can be put into operation without any difficulty.

I claim as my invention:

1..The method of lowering the starting potential of a commercially unfinished electric discharge --device, which comprises vaporizing and forming in the device a thin deposit of an electro-conductive' material, as a step preliminary to its commercial use.

2. The method of lowering the potential drop of a commercially unfinished electric discharge device containing a monatomic gassurrounding solid electrodes, which com-v prises vaporizing an electro-conductive material within said device, as a step preliminary to its commercial use.

3..The method of lowering the starting I potential of a commercially unfinished gas lamp, which comprises forming in the lamp by rapid distillation a thin deposit of an electro-conductive material,- as a step preliminary to its commercial use.

4. The method of lowering the starting potential of a commercially unfinished gas lamp, which comprises forming in the lamp by rapid distillation a thin deposit of electrode material, as a step preliminary to its commercial use.

5. The method of lowering the starting potential of a commercially unfinished gas lamp, which comprises depositing in the lamp by rapid distillation a small quantity of'an alkali metal, as a step preliminary to its commercial. use.

6. The method of lowering the startingpotential of a commercially unfinished gas lamp, which comprises introducing .within the lamp a small quantity of an alkali metalin the form of a" deposit located in the vicinity of the electrodes, as a step preliminary to its commercial use.

lope, electrodes therein, at least one of said electrodes consisting of an alkali metal, and a thin. solid, metallic deposit in the interior of said envelope, said deposit being formed prior to the commercial use of the lamp whereby the minimum starting potential thereof is initially present.

9. As an article of manufacture, an electric gas or vapor lamp comprising an envelope, electrodes therein, at least one of said electrodes consisting of an alkali metal, and a deposit of distilled electrode material in the interior of said envelope, said deposit being formed prior to the commercial use of the lamp, whereby the minimum starting potential thereof is initially present.

10. As an article of manufacture, an electric gas or vapor lamp comprising an envelope, electrodes therein, at least one of said electrodes consistin of an alkali metal, and a deposit of distil ed alkali metal in the interlor of said envelope, said deposit being formed rior to the commercial use of the lamp, w ereby the minimum starting potential thereof is initially present.

11. As an article of manufacture, an eleca distilled thin, metallic deposit in the interior of said lamp, said deposit being formed prior to the commercial use of the lamp, whereby the minimum starting potential thereof is initially present.

12. An electric gas lamp comprising an envelope containing a rare gas, electrodes of an alkali metal within said envelope, and a distilled deposit of said alkali metal within said envelope, said deposit being formed prior to the commercial use of the lamp, whereby the minimum ,starting potentiail thereof is initially present.

13. An electric gas lamp comprising an envelope containing neon, electrodes therein, at least one of said electrodes consisting of an alkali metal, and a deposit of said alkali metal in the interior of said envelope, said deposit being formed prior to the commercial use of the lamp, whereby the minimum starting potential thereof is initially present.

14. An electric gas lamp comprising an envelope containing neon, alkali metal electrodes within saidenvelope, and a distilled deposit of the electrode material in said envelope, said depositbeing formed prior to the commercial use of the lamp, whereby the minimum starting potential thereof is ini-- tially present. a

In testimony whereof I have hereunto subscribed my name this fifth day of May 1914.

ANTON LEDERER.

Witnesses:

A. H. HOPPER, W. B. Game. 

